Steel hatch cover



June 9, 1953 R. MaGGREGoR ETAL STEEL HATCH COVER 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 7, 1948 June 9, 1953 R, MacGREGQR ETAL 2,641,214

STEEL HATCH COVER Filed Oct. 7, 1948 4 Sheelzs-Sheet 2 VVE/vraies @caser/2me 6.65602, Jafpf/ .MC GRC-'601% June 9, 1953 R MacGREGOR ETAL 2,641,214

` STEEL HATCH COVER Filed Oct. 7, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 9, 1953 R. MacGREGOR ET AL 2,541,214

STEEL HATCH COVER Filed Oct. '7, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fi/Q. 8 Ffx. Q.

Robert; McGreQ or Joseph McGregor.

Q ATTORNEY lfiratenlecl `une 9, 1953 OFFICE STEEL HATCH COVER Robert MacGregor and Joseph MacGregor, Whitley Bay, England Application October 7, 1948, Serial No. 53,246 In Great Britain July 6, 1948 2 Claims.

This invention relates to sectional steel covers for ships hatches and has particular reference to the moving of the cover sections to one or other end of the hatch for the purpose of stowing them in upended positions clear of the hatch opening.

The object of the present invention is to zprovide a novel method of stowing the sections of a hatch cover and an improved construction of hatch covering whereby the novel method of stowing may be carried into effect.

With .the foregoing object in View, the present invention provides a method of stowing the longitudinally aligned steel sections of a ships hatch cover which consists in independently mounting the cover sections so as to be capable of movement in flat disposition toward a stovving end of a hatch, connecting that cover section which is remote from the stowing end of the hatch to a single haulage rope, and applying to said remote cover section through said rope a sustained pull so as to etect the movement simultaneously of allV the flatly disposed cover sections toward the stowing end by reason of each section pushing forward any section in front of it and to permit each of the cover sections to tilt independently into a substantially vertical upended position clear of the hatch opening on reaching the stowing end of the hatch. In a preferred embodiment, each of the cover sections in front of that remote section to which the haulage rope is attached is arranged to tilt automatically to the upended position, the last section-namely that to which the haulage rope is attached-being brought to the upended position by reason of continued pulling on said rope, and the second and any following sections-reckoned from the stowing end of the hatchare each adapted to act upon the immediately preceding section during the course of the unendingI movement of said preceding section to displace forwardly the section acted upon so as to permit the following section to tilt to the upended position on reaching the stowing end of the hatch. Arrangements may also be made to facilitate return of the cover sections to their hatch closing positions.

By way of example, the accompanying drawings illustrate, somewhatl diagrammatically, a construction of hatchvcovering means for carrying into-practice the method of stowing outlined above. In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 to 6 yare perspective view in diagrammatic-,form showing theA general. arrangement of the hatch structure and hatch covers in various different positions in which:

Figure 1 depicts all the covers in their hatchclosing position,

Figures 2, 3 and 4 show three stages during the process of stowing the cover sections,

Figure 5 shows all the cover sections in their stowed positions,

Figure 6 shows one stage in the process of returning the cover sections to their hatch-closing positions, and

Figure '7 illustrates a preferred form of cross joint for use on cover sections which are to be stowed according to the method herein described.

Figure 8 is a plan showing one corner of a hatchway and the cover stowage structure on one side which extends therefrom;

Figure 9 is a cross section on the line IX-IX of Figure 8 but showing a portion of a cover in place; and

Figure 10 is a cross section on the line X-X of Figure 8 also showing 'a portion of a cover.

The term hatchway is used herein to indicate in a general way the structure within which the hatch opening is formed. In the embodiment illustrated the hatchway is of the kind provided with a coaming which upstands from the deck, and particularly the weather deck of a ship, the cover sections being stowed in a space above deck level at one end of the hatchway.

In the embodiment illustrated a pair of parallel runways I, I are provided which extend along the full length of the tops of the longitudinal sides 2 of the deck coaming 3. On said runways I, I are adapted to roll the transporting wheels of a number of longitudinally aligned cover sections 4 and 5, four of these sections, i. e. those marked 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d being of approximately equal fore-and-aft length yand shorter than the nfth section 5. The sections 4, 5 are movable independently of one another during the process of stowing. The adjacent sections are provided With intersection cross joints, and so-called contour joints are provided between the sides of the cover sections and the sides of the coaming. These jointings which when in use render the closed cover weathertight, may be of any suitable form. Cleats for securing ad- Jacent cover sections together and other known devices for clamping the closed cover in position may be employed, but are not illustrated. Each cover section is provided with a pair of fore or leading wheels E and a pair of trailing wheels 'I which are used for transporting purposes, .these wheels 6, 'I being of a known kind in which the wheel spindles are journalled in eccentric bushes which can be manipulated so as to throw the wheels out of action, in which case the cover sections bed down on the contour jointing, or alternatively the wheels can be set so -as to take the weight and raise the cover sections clear of the contour jointing. At or near the centre of length of the cover-sections 4a;

4d a pair of transversely aligned pivotsfare provided in the form of grooved rollers 8, the disposition of these rollers 8 being such that if thei sections 4 are supported on these rollers.v alone the sections are in a balanced or substantially balanced condition. On the sectionSaduxnmy extension 9 is provided instead of a roller Bfor'- the purpose hereinafter described. Atfthe end.

of the coaming 3 where the cover sections. arer to be stowed in upended positions a pair of parallel tracks IU, I0 are provided. Theseatracks- I0, I extend parallel to the runways I, I to which they are attached'at th'e stowing 'end of the hatchway and continue beyond the `coamingy 3 solas to provide a space flanked -by thetracks I0, IU within which the sections 4a 4d and 5 can `be stowed.. They Aare supported; at their outer ends on the deck or by a fixed deck-structure. l. Thepivot-iorming rollers 8 projectA laterally beyond the fore wheels 6 so that' said wheels E are still rolling on'runways; I, I when `the rollers-8 are rolling on tracks IIl, I0: The'vtrailing wheels however, are longitudinally aligned the. coaming 3, namely'on .coversection .15, and

the rope; I3: is'....pullecl'. upon by a lwinch .(not

shown) in4 the directionzof. thestowing endof.

thegcoarning 3. Adjacent `sections of theassem-m lId'and areinterconnected bymeans.

bly 4a` off chains I5 (or ropes) which. are'conveniently` attached. .toy eyes. inrttriangular` plates .hung ini ree pendulum fashion.ontheextremitiessof the spindlesof. rollers8 and on.fthe dummyxextension .9. When .thecover sections 'Aal'.

. 4d are.

inthe stowed positionsthey areisupportedon the hereinafterdescribed. the: section: 5 is provided f:

at. its fore. end andon` e-ach side with a pivotv I'I.

adapted' to co-operate. with` supporting socketsy f I8 on the inside. of tracks'lIIl, I0;

The process of stowingthe cover sectionswill.r

be `readily. understood fromza consideration .of Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings Figure 1 shows all thecover .sectionsistill in.

their hatch-closing positions but Withl-the wheelsv 6, "I manipulated to set them. hard; down upon' the runwaysv I, yI thus` bodily. raising: theisec5- tionalA covers clear of the .contour jointingasi Figure 9; the haulage/rope` I3-:is: attached -tofsec-f.; tion 5, `all. accessories such. as. cleats zand. clamps. which .temporarily secured y the` sections vtogetherq.

and to the coaming having ibeeni .previously res--4 moved or releasedysothat all.lzthez-sectionsl are-w independent of one anotherancl:allzrestingubyfv their wheels-.6, 'I on therunwaysi., I. i.

Figure/2 shows how on causing. a winclrto-windL-75 in the haulage rope I3 the sections are constrained to roll simultaneously toward the stowing end of the coaming 3, the pull exerted on section 5 to which the rope I3 is attached being transmitted to section 4d thence to 4c, 4b and finally to 4a. Soon after the sections begin to roll, the pivot-forming rollers 8 on section 4a ride on totheir respective tracks I0, II),I so that when about one half of section 4a overhangs'the end of the coaming 3, the section 4a is more or less balanced on its rollers 8, which are preferably setso that this section, in common with sections 41),"40'Y and 4d are biased slightly to swing into theiverticalposition; The aft wheels 1 then ride up their respective ramps Il, II, thereby breaking the cross joint (Figure 7) between sections Iavl and 4b." Sudden tilting of the section 4a is prevented by the restraining influence of ramps I 2 down'which the fore wheels 6 roll. Meanwhile the following sections are steadily rolling toward 'the stowing end of the hatch.

Figure 3 shows how section 4b in due time arrivesiat the position in which it can tilt automatically toward the upended position and how' in so doing its fore end presses upon the preced.

ing section 4a so as to push the latter along the tracks I D, I (l toward: the front ends thereof.

Figure 4 shows how eventually all four balancedsections.l are upendedv and advanced alongtracks I0, :I8 under the end-pressure ap.- plied through the following section 5.

Figure 5 shows the unbalanced section 5 in the upended position into which it has been erected by continued pulling on the. haulagey rope I3; When thus upended, the Section5 is supported not on the tops of tracks II), I II, but `on. pivots II which engage sockets. I8 mounted on the insides. of tracks I0, ID. Thesection 5 is thussupported, when upendedin a top-heavy manner*y which facilitates return movementof thev section to aflat position for the unstowing. and hatch-closing process.

It will beunderstood from Figures 1 to'5 that' assoon as a section begins to tilt, the side chains. I5; :by .which that section is coupled to the following section, hang slackly fromtheaforesaid anchorage plates which are mounted on the spindlesvof-` the rollers 8 and takeno active part in the. stowing process. When section 5 is dropped... downfrom itsupendedI position its chains I5 pull upon section 4d,:causing it to tilt vback to the iiatzposition. Asimilar movement is transl mitted tol each section, 4c, 4b andAa in succes.

siongasillustrated by Figure 6.

Althoughl the method of. stowing. cover sec.- tionsis not dependent upon'the use of any particularzformof intersection or cover-to--coamingI packing, the form of cross joint shown diagram-v matically in Figure 7 has certain advantages over known forms ofv cross joints. The joint illustrated is of duplexl form, that is, when. the covers are'` battened down two separatemasses of packing4 material arefin. compressed condition' and .'con'- stitute between. themra thoroughly. watertight g joint;v even' under: heavy. seas; Onepacking. 2IIA 'I consists of sponge rubber of substantially rectangular cross.section"housed.in. an inverted channel 2|.fformedf on 'onecover section;.e. g. section laland v:into'this:v packing.. the sidenange'of .a .channel'structure 23 provided-'on'the adjacent.'v

sectionAb'zis .adapted-to press .when the .two sec; tions are: in, theiuhatchz-closing. positions.: -Th'el lowering of section 4a to lie alongside of -secV I tionbalso causes fthesidefwall ofJinverted chan@ nell 2 I f to lcompressficircularssection: sponge. rubi#|` ber packing 2d housed in the vertically-opening channel 25 on section lib. In this way a thoroughly watertight joint is made. Alternatively, the eccentrically hushed transporting wheels of the sections can be adjusted to a position, such as that shown in Figure 7, in which there is cornparatively light compression of the packing 2li, before the flange 22 beds into packing 29, thereby providing a joint which is tight enough to exclude rain. The channel 23 constitutes a drain for any water which passes the packing Eil.

We claim:

1. A ships hatch and cover construction wherein cover sections may be slidably moved to be stowed at one end ci a hatch coaming having longitudinal and lateral sides upstanding from the ships deck adjacent a fixed deck structure, comprising, in combination, a runway extending along each of the opposite longitudinal top edges of the coaining, a plurality of cover sections having inner and outer edges adapted to assume coplanar covering positions over the hatch opening of the coainingy a fore wheel and a trailing wheel on opposite said outer edges of each cover section adapted to roll along its related runway, each trailing wheel being spaced laterally from the edge of the cover a greater distance than the fore wheel,` a pivot roller on opposite outer edges of each section and mounted on an axis above and between the axes of said fore and trailing wheels u and also laterally spaced from the edge of the cover in vertical alignment with said trailing wheel, a flexible member connecting the pivot roller of each section with the pivot roller of the next section, whereby each section is joined with r said fixed deck structure, said tracks constituting substantially a continuation of said runways and laterally spaced apart a distance to receive and support the pivot rollers and trailing wheels, downwardly inclined ramps at the ends of the runways adjacent and below the tracks to aiord guide means for said fore wheels, means adjacent said tracks supportingsaid ramps, haulage means connected to the section most remote from the stowing position, whereby, when said section most remote from the stowing position is pulled all preceding sections move toward the stowing position, and the cover sections when moved on the tracks can freely pivot by their respective pivot rollers on the tracks and tilt downwardly at their leading edge between the tracks on their fore wheels to successively assume upended stowed positions, and a pivot pin on each outer side edge of said section most remote from the stowing position and forwardly of its fore wheels.

2. A ships hatch cover construction according to claim 1, wherein, the tracks at the said stowing ends of the runway have their treads disposed at a higher level than the runways, and upwardly inclined ramps positioned adjacent said downwardly inclined ramps constituting extensions of the tracks to thereby lift the hatch as it slides on the downwardly inclined ramps, whereby the section is lifted to break a water-tight cross joint between that section and the following section.

ROBERT MACGREGOR. JOSEPH MAcGREGO-R.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,735,329 MacGregor Nov. 12, 1929 2,129,973 Tutin Sept. 13, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 477,373 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1937 607,163 Great Britain Aug. 26, 1948 

